To the editor:

I am the 84-year-old person with congestive heart failure, for whom the plug will be pulled under the Democrats’ health care plan, according to Sarah Palin.

In my 50-some years of working with doctors in medical and mental health facilities, I have found that doctors view their professional duty as saving lives, and when they err, it is on the side of doing too much to maintain life.

End-of-life counseling is a wonderful thing. Giving thought to how one might want to end life should start when one is still young and the thought is not threatening. It may change as years go by, but at least it will be thought-out and people made aware of their options and consequences of their options. It gives people a sense of control over their lives and relieves the family of having to make decisions and prevents those terrible quarrels over those last-years’ decision-making.

Please, let me specify when and how and in what circumstances I want my plug pulled. Obama’s health plan would do this.